paper

Honeycomb-lattice Heisenberg-Kitaev model in a magnetic field: Spin canting, metamagnetism, and vortex crystals

arXiv:1607.04640 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.277202

Abstract

The Heisenberg-Kitaev model is a paradigmatic model to describe the magnetism in honeycomb-lattice Mott insulators with strong spin-orbit coupling, such as AIrO (A = Na, Li) and -RuCl. Here we study in detail the physics of the Heisenberg-Kitaev model in an external magnetic field. Using a combination of Monte-Carlo simulations and spin-wave theory we map out the classical phase diagram for different directions of the magnetic field. Broken SU(2) spin symmetry renders the magnetization process rather complex, with sequences of phases and metamagnetic transitions. In particular, we find various large-unit-cell and multi-Q phases including a vortex-crystal phase for a field in the [111] direction. We also discuss quantum corrections in the high-field phase.

5+9 pages, 4+8 figures; v2: discussion of quantum effects and Klein duality extended, references added, several minor improvements

References in corpus (11)

Cited by in corpus (76)